Tropical Cyclone Winston Update from the Anglican Missions Board

Posted on 24 March 2016

Update: 24 March

On Saturday morning 20 Feb 2016 Category 5 Cyclone Winston passed through Fiji’s two main islands – the maximum wind speed recorded was 185 miles per hour. As has been reported on our website and through other communications around the Church, AMB launched an Emergency Appeal and donations have been coming in daily.

Our Projects Officer, Reverend Mike Hawke who was in Fiji at the time of the Cyclone recently returned together with the Church Media Officer, Lloyd Ashton, to see first-hand the needs since the Cyclone; and to begin work on the development of a relief and rebuilding plan with the Diocese of Polynesia.

The needs are huge and we urge our church to continue to uphold in your prayers the Diocese of Polynesia and the people of Fiji. THANK YOU to all who have donated and will donate and for your expressions of care and good wishes. Funds received to date: NZ$17,500 approx.

One area of particular need is the remote village of Maniava where there are 28 houses (almost all of the settlement) that need to be rebuilt. As well they have urgent need of an interim toilet, bathrooms, temporary shelter and food. This is a first point of focus for AMB; however a substantial relief and rebuilding plan is currently being worked on.

Late last week, Archbishop Winston Halapua, the AMB’s Mike Hawke and Diocese of Polynesia Secretary John Simmonds spent two days in a 4WD visiting some of the most remote Anglican communities on Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu. They wanted to see for themselves how these communities were faring now in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Winston.

The Anglicans Mission Board and the Diocese of Polynesia are formulating a serious, long-term response plan to help rebuild these stunned communities. We’ll publish details of that plan as soon as they come to hand.